Over the past week or so, the news has been inundated with stories about Dan Cathy, President and CEO of Chick Fil A who was interviewed by the Baptist Press and verbalized his Christian belief regarding marriage. He, along with other Christians (myself included) believe that marriage is based on the Biblical value of - 'marriage is the unity of one man and one woman'. This is his personal belief and that of his family. Understand - he did not say that he would deny persons with a different point of view than his the right to eat in or work at any of his restaurants nor did he say anything hateful about them. He merely expressed his own personal conviction in his Christian faith. Immediately, there sprang up an outcry from the LGBT community who, with the help of GLAAD and possibly others, has scheduled a National Day of Protest for August 3rd called a 'Kiss In' with public displays of affection, etc., etc. Not to be undone, several politicians have condemned Chick Fil A for their marriage stance calling Mr. Cathy bigoted, homophobic, rabidly homophobic, a peddler of 'hate chicken' and stating they (the politicians) would block any effort by Mr. Cathy to operate one of his restaurants in their city/town. The most outlandish of the condemnations, however, came from none other than Rahm Emmanuel, former sidekick to President Obama and now mayor of Chicago, who stated with pompous righteousness, "Chick Fil A's values are not Chicago values"! To that I say Amen!
A sampling of other instances:
Kirk Cameron, former child star and convicted Christian, is facing mounting controversy regarding his views on same-sex marriage. During an interview with Piers Morgan of CNN, he was asked about his views on the subject and his response that he believed marriage was between one man and one woman was regarded as 'hate' speech and 'homophobic'. Subsequently, when he spoke at a marriage event in Ocean Grove New Jersey to an audience of approximately 6000 couples, a small group of protesters demonstrated outside the event with signs that read: 'Kirk! Your words hurt us!' and 'Hey Kirk, will God judge me for loving or judge you for hating?'
In Lakewood Colorado, the owner of a bakery recently refused to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple because it violated his Christian view regarding marriage. In an interview with CBS, the owner said (regarding the LGBT community) he had no problem making birthday, graduation or other event cakes but wedding cakes was a different story.
A family owned bakery in Indianapolis was subjected to a city investigation after they declined to make cupcakes for National Coming Out Day.
In California, the director of the California Musical Theater was forced to resign under tremendous pressure after he gave money to support a measure outlawing same-sex marriage in California.
The Washington Blade published the names and addresses of 110,000 Maryland residents who signed a petition to put the state's new marriage equality law on the November ballot.
A Southern Baptist church in Miami, Florida faces eviction from a public school building because the pastor preached a sermon about marriage and the Miami-Dade County school superintendent said that the church's opposition to homosexuality was "contrary to school board policy as well as the basic principles of humanity". The superintendent said he wanted to evict them as a 'rejection of prejudice and intolerance'.
These few examples are demonstrations of what we, as Christians, have allowed to happen because of our tolerance not for the lack of it; however we are now being called intolerant because 'tolerance' has become a one-way street and we 'ain't walkin' their way'. So, while the First Amendment to the Constitution guarantees freedom of religion, the right to exercise that freedom AND freedom of speech, we are being systematically indoctrinated into believing that because we dare to have the courage of our religious convictions, we are haters, bigots, racists, and 'rabidly' homophobic. Well, I'm here to tell you that I, personally, will not be bullied, threatened or intimidated by anyone who is themselves 'intolerant' of my right to freely think and I encourage anyone else who is sick of this treatment to stand up now and be counted. Tolerance is a TWO-WAY Street.
Remember this Americans:
"if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land."
2 Chron. 7:14
A sampling of other instances:
Kirk Cameron, former child star and convicted Christian, is facing mounting controversy regarding his views on same-sex marriage. During an interview with Piers Morgan of CNN, he was asked about his views on the subject and his response that he believed marriage was between one man and one woman was regarded as 'hate' speech and 'homophobic'. Subsequently, when he spoke at a marriage event in Ocean Grove New Jersey to an audience of approximately 6000 couples, a small group of protesters demonstrated outside the event with signs that read: 'Kirk! Your words hurt us!' and 'Hey Kirk, will God judge me for loving or judge you for hating?'
In Lakewood Colorado, the owner of a bakery recently refused to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple because it violated his Christian view regarding marriage. In an interview with CBS, the owner said (regarding the LGBT community) he had no problem making birthday, graduation or other event cakes but wedding cakes was a different story.
A family owned bakery in Indianapolis was subjected to a city investigation after they declined to make cupcakes for National Coming Out Day.
In California, the director of the California Musical Theater was forced to resign under tremendous pressure after he gave money to support a measure outlawing same-sex marriage in California.
The Washington Blade published the names and addresses of 110,000 Maryland residents who signed a petition to put the state's new marriage equality law on the November ballot.
A Southern Baptist church in Miami, Florida faces eviction from a public school building because the pastor preached a sermon about marriage and the Miami-Dade County school superintendent said that the church's opposition to homosexuality was "contrary to school board policy as well as the basic principles of humanity". The superintendent said he wanted to evict them as a 'rejection of prejudice and intolerance'.
These few examples are demonstrations of what we, as Christians, have allowed to happen because of our tolerance not for the lack of it; however we are now being called intolerant because 'tolerance' has become a one-way street and we 'ain't walkin' their way'. So, while the First Amendment to the Constitution guarantees freedom of religion, the right to exercise that freedom AND freedom of speech, we are being systematically indoctrinated into believing that because we dare to have the courage of our religious convictions, we are haters, bigots, racists, and 'rabidly' homophobic. Well, I'm here to tell you that I, personally, will not be bullied, threatened or intimidated by anyone who is themselves 'intolerant' of my right to freely think and I encourage anyone else who is sick of this treatment to stand up now and be counted. Tolerance is a TWO-WAY Street.
Remember this Americans:
"if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land."
2 Chron. 7:14
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